The factory—claimed to be India’s first integrated flat panel display factory—is likely to come up in Gujarat
As per recent reports, Innolux announced that it has reached an agreement to transfer TFT LCD (thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display) panel and module technology to Indian conglomerate Vedanta. The port city in Gujarat, Bharuch has been proposed as a likely factory location. Notably, it is being claimed that the factory will be India’s first integrated flat panel display (FPD) factory including both TFT, colour filter, and cell front plane processes as well as module assembly.
The assumptions in the industry suggest that Vedanta had previously also planned to build its own by-plant glass melting and finishing facility factory with support from its glass-producing subsidiary AvanStrate. But the progress on this front is unconfirmed at this point.
Considering the launch of the domestic FPD industry in India to be a very big challenge, Practice Leader in Omdia’s Components and Devices group, Charles Annis called this technology transfer “a key milestone” for Vedanta, as it is expected to facilitate government approval, financing, supplier support, and improved outcomes.
Annis added that the fab will be similar to Innolux’s Fab 8B and is likely to adopt Gen 8.6 or 2250 x 2600 mm substrates. A capacity of 60,000 substrates per month is currently assumed. Interestingly, Vedanta engineers are already involved in on-site training in Taiwan.
After the success of this first factory, Vedanta has long-term plans of expanding production to other regions in India and growing into the role of a leading, global FPD producer, opined Annis.
He further commented: “Manufacturing FPDs in India is appealing for the large available market, which is expected to grow rapidly on the expansion of the middle class and a lower FPD saturation rate than developed regions. Also, it is not just India; surrounding Southern Asian countries are potential markets for made-in-India consumer electronics.”
2003-born Innolux Corporation is a Taiwan-based company producing TFT LCD panels. In March 2010, its merger with Chi Mei Optoelectronics and TPO Displays is believed to be the largest merger in the history of the panel industry.
Mumbai-headquartered Vedanta Limited identifies as one of the world’s foremost natural resources conglomerates, with primary interests in aluminium, zinc-lead-silver, oil and gas, iron ore, steel, copper, power, nickel, ferroalloys, glass display, optical fibre, and semiconductors.
